Amtrak completes Acela interior refresh; marks the return to Springfield Union Station

Amtrak has taken steps to place the customer experience at the forefront through a series of investments in its fleet and at Springfield Union Station.  

June 10 marked the return of the railroad’s Northeast Regional, Lake Shore Limited and Vermonter trains to the historic Springfield Union Station in Springfield, Mass., after previously using a temporary facility. The station went through an extensive rebuild that began in 2012 and transformed the historic building into an intermodal transportation center with local and long-distance buses, retail and office space, parking, CTrail New Haven-Hartford-Springfield trains and Amtrak trains.

Amtrak says the new station provides riders with a better customer experience when traveling in, out, and through Western Massachusetts. Customers can now expect to see passenger information display boards (PIDS) and hear train announcements within the station and a customer service desk has been added. Amtrak notes that the station also features plenty of natural light, as well as an inviting atmosphere that illuminates the station

“Whether you are getting on, off, just traveling through or even working there – everyone loves seeing a beautiful, refurbished, train station with modern amenities that also has a long-standing significance to the city and its people,” said Tom Moritz, associate vice president of Infrastructure Access & Investment.

“The revitalization of Springfield’s Union Station has been a career-long ambition of mine,” said U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1). “With the move of Amtrak’s customer service and ticketing agents to the main concourse, travelers will be able to experience the new station and all of its amenities before they get to continue on their journeys. This is another important next step in the completion of this project.”

In other Amtrak news, the railroad says it has completed “an extensive refresh” of the train interiors on the entire Acela fleet. The revamping of the Acela interiors is one of several initiatives designed to introduce a more modern and comfortable travel experience.

“Customers expect a premium experience when they board an Acela, and these updated interiors provide a more comfortable, refreshed look and feel – whether you want to relax, move about freely, work or play,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said.

The $4 million project took 15 months to complete across all 20 trainsets, which included 100 Amtrak cars and 6,080 seats. Each trainset features new cushions and covers for all Business Class and First-Class seats, new carpet for the aisle runner and deep clean of each train car.

The leather that was removed from the interiors was upcycled into handbags, wallets and other consumer goods that are available for purchase at peopleup.org/pages/Amtrak. The remaining refresh cushions and covers were turned into carpet padding.

Riders will be able to enjoy the redone interiors until early 2022 when Amtrak’s current Acela trainsets are scheduled to be retired. Amtrak says the next generation of Acela trainsets will provide 40 percent more trains, more passenger seats with the same ample personal space and high-end comfort, more service, better amenities and a smoother ride. The first trainset prototype will be ready for testing in 2019 and will enter revenue service in 2021.